Purpose Statement

The Return workflow allows authorized users to document the removal of Whole Blood inventory from a Med Kit when blood products are expired, damaged, or otherwise need to be returned.

When replacement inventory is received during the same transaction, users can immediately add a Receive Event to create a Multi-Action Workflow. This documents both the returned and replacement blood products as part of a single exchange.

Background Information

Whole Blood inventory may need to be returned for several reasons, including:

• Expiration
• Damage
• Quality concerns
• Routine inventory rotation
• Scheduled blood exchange with a supplier or blood bank

The Return workflow can be completed in one of two ways:

• Return Only – Used when blood is removed from inventory without receiving replacement inventory.
• Return and Replace – Used when a supplier or blood bank exchanges the returned blood for new inventory during the same interaction.

When performing an exchange, much of the information entered during the Return action is automatically carried into the Receive action, reducing duplicate data entry.

Before beginning, confirm that:

• Whole Blood has been enabled for the agency.
• The blood product exists in the selected Whole Blood Med Kit.
• The supplier or blood bank exists in the Vendor Directory.
• Temperature thresholds and signature requirements have been configured.

Required Permissions

Users returning or replacing Whole Blood inventory must have the following permission:

• Whole Blood - Receive/Return

If a Count is added to complete a sealed Med Kit workflow, users will also need:

• Whole Blood - Count

Additional access to the Medications module and the selected Med Kit may also be required based on the agency's role configuration.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Before You Begin

Use this workflow when:

• Returning Whole Blood inventory without receiving replacement inventory (Return Only).
• Exchanging Whole Blood inventory with a supplier or blood bank by documenting both a Return Event and a replacement Receive Event in the same Multi-Action Workflow.
• Removing blood products that are expired, damaged, fail inspection, or otherwise need to be removed from inventory.

If you only need to receive new Whole Blood inventory and are not returning existing blood products, refer to Receiving New Whole Blood Inventory instead.

Initiate Whole Blood Product Return

1. Open the Whole Blood Med Kit

• Select the First Due logo.
• Navigate to Medications.
• Select Med Kits.
• Open the appropriate Whole Blood Med Kit.

Whole Blood Med Kits display Blood next to the Med Kit name.

2. Filter the Med Kit to Locate Blood Product (Optional)

Use the available filters to find the blood product to be returned in the system. 

Available Filters include:

• Medication Name
• Lot Number
• Serial Number
• Blood Unit ID
• Expiration Date

3. Start the Return Workflow

• Select Return.

The Return Event begins by collecting information about why the blood product is being removed from inventory.

Document Blood Product Return Information

1. Automatically Input Expired Blood Products

A pop-up window will appear when the Blood Kit has expired blood products.

Selecting Add Expired Products automatically places all expired blood products into the Products for Return section.

Selecting Skip will require all products for return be manually input into the return section.

2. Enter the Return Type

Select the Return Type.

Common return reasons include:

• Damaged Item
• Temperature Deviation
• Expired Product
• Wrong Blood Type
• Quality Concerns
• Documentation Issues

3. Enter the Shipment ID (Optional)

Shipment IDs may contain letters, numbers, and special characters.

The Shipment ID will populate automatically during the Receive workflow. 

4. Select the Supplier/Blood Bank

The Supplier/Blood Bank list is populated from the Vendor Directory.

A Pharmacy or EMS Supplier must already exist in the Vendor Directory before it can be selected.

5. Enter the Return Date and Time

The current date is highlighted in the calendar.

You can:

• Type the date and time directly into the field.
• Select the date from the calendar.
• Choose the time from the available drop-down menus.

Select the month or year in the calendar to quickly navigate to a different date.

6. Enter the Delivery Personnel (Optional)

Record the name of the courier or individual taking possession of the returned Whole Blood product.

7. Identify the Receiving Department Staff member

The Department Staff list displays your agency's personnel roster.

Search by name or scroll through the list to locate the appropriate individual.

8. Select the Transportation Method

Select the appropriate transportation method from the drop-down list.

This list cannot be customized.

9. Enter the Return Temperature

Record the temperature of the blood product or storage kit according to your agency's procedures.

The temperature unit and acceptable minimum and maximum values are determined by the agency's Whole Blood configuration. If the entered temperature falls outside the configured range, the system displays a validation warning.

10. Enter a Reason for Return (Optional)

Document the reason for returning the blood product.

Follow agency policy when documenting all whole blood product returns.

11. Add Notes (Optional)

Enter any additional notes relevant to the Return Event.

Notes will automatically populate during a Receive Event in this Multi-Action Workflow.

Identify Blood Product Being Returned

1. Select the Blood Product Being Returned

• Select Add Product.
• Choose the blood product being returned.

The list includes all eligible Whole Blood and Packed Red Blood Cell products currently stored in the selected Med Kit. Select one or multiple products.

Review the available product information, such as:

• Blood Unit ID
• Lot Number
• Product Form
• Blood Type
• Expiration Date
• Select Save.

5a. Complete a Return Only

If replacement inventory is not being received:

• Review the return information.
• Select Sign & Finish.
• Complete the required signatures.
• Select Save.

The selected blood product is removed from the Med Kit inventory.

5b. Return and Replace Inventory

If replacement inventory is being received during the same exchange:

• Select Add Action.
• Select Receive.
• Confirm that you want to continue with the multi-action workflow.

Unlike the Receiving New Whole Blood Inventory workflow, this Receive Event documents replacement inventory associated with the current Return Event.

Verify Receive Shipment Information

1. Select Receive Type

Receive Type can be one of the following:

• Routine
• Emergency Resupply

Your agency's policies determine which Receive Type should be selected for each Receive Event.

2. Verify Information from Return Action

Because this Receive Event is part of a Return and Replace workflow, much of the shipment information entered during the Return Event is automatically carried into the Receive Event.

• Shipment ID
• Supplier/Blood Bank
• Date and Time
• Delivery Personnel
• Department Staff
• Transportation Method
• Kit Temperature
• Notes

Once an action has been added to a Multi-Action Workflow and the Multi-Action Workflow confirmation has been accepted, that action becomes read-only.

There is no Back button, and previous actions cannot be edited after another action has been added to the workflow.

If changes are required to a previously completed action:

• Close the current Multi-Action Workflow without saving.
• Restart the workflow from the beginning.
• Re-enter each action in the correct order with the necessary corrections.

Document Replacement Whole Blood Inventory

1. Add Blood Products

Select Add Product.

Repeat this section as needed to document additional Whole Blood product types or forms.

2. Choose the Appropriate Product Form

Whole Blood Product Forms are configured in Medications Setup.

Available Product Forms are grouped into two categories:

• Whole Blood
• Packed Red Blood Cells

Only Product Forms configured for the selected Med Kit are available.

3. Select the Applicable Blood Type

• The Whole Blood feature supports documentation and inventory management for all standard ABO and Rh blood types.

• Available blood types include:

  • O- (Universal Donor)
  • O+
  • A+
  • A-
  • B+
  • B-
  • AB+ (Universal Recipient)
  • AB-

4. Enter a Lot Number (Optional)

Enter the manufacturer's Lot Number according to your agency's documentation requirements.

Lot Numbers may contain letters, numbers, and special characters.

5. Select the Expiration Date

The current date is highlighted in the calendar.

You can:

• Type the expiration date directly into the field.
• Select the date from the calendar.
• Use the month and year selectors to quickly navigate to another date.

6. Enter Product or Kit Temperature

Record either:

• The temperature of the individual blood product, or
• The temperature of the storage device.

This value does not automatically populate from the Kit Temperature entered earlier in the workflow.

Temperature units and thresholds are configured in Medications Setup.

7. Enter the Number of Units

Enter the number of units included in the shipment.

You can type the quantity or use the increase/decrease controls.

When receiving multiple units of the same Product Form and Blood Type, the system creates a separate set of identification and inspection fields for each unit.

8. Enter the Blood Unit ID

The Blood Unit ID uniquely identifies each blood product.

The Blood Unit ID is referenced during Usage, Return, and Count workflows to help verify the correct product.

Blood Unit IDs may contain letters, numbers, and special characters.

9. Enter the Color Description

Record the Color Description according to your agency's documentation requirements.

The Color Description is included in Blood Log reports.

10. Record the Visual Inspection Result

Select one of the following:

• Pass — Indicates the product passed the visual inspection.
• Fail — Indicates the product did not meet visual inspection standards.

Selecting Fail does not prevent the product from being received into inventory.

Product Failure Examples

11. Add Additional Replacement Products (Optional)

To receive additional replacement Product Forms:

• Select Add Product.
• Complete the product information.
• Repeat as necessary.

12. Add Additional Workflow Actions (Optional)

After documenting the replacement Receive Event, select Add Action to continue with another Whole Blood workflow when additional documentation is required.

• Usage - Document a blood product that was administered after the replacement inventory was received.
• Count – Verify the Med Kit inventory after the exchange. 
  • For sealed Med Kits, a Count is required to document the new seal number after the kit has been reopened. 
  • For locked Med Kits, complete a Count only if required by your agency's policy.

Multiple actions can be combined into a single Multi-Action Workflow to accurately document the sequence of events.

Refer to the Whole Blood Multi-Action Workflows article for additional information about combining actions.

Sign & Finalize Blood Product Exchange

1. Select Sign & Finish

• Select Sign & Finish. 
• Select the required signer or signers. 
• Complete the configured signature validation. 
• Select Save.

2. Complete Department Signature Requirements

Signature requirements vary by agency configuration and may include:

• One or more internal users
• Up to four signers
• Signature only
• Signature and PIN
• Profile-prefilled signature
• Outside-organization signer

3. Capture Outside-Organization Signatures (Optional)

If an Outside-Organization Signer is required, enter the requested identifying information before collecting the signature.

4. Verify Blood Products in Med Kits

After the replacement Receive Event is complete, the blood products are added to the selected Med Kit inventory.

Additional Whole Blood actions become available for the Med Kit.

The Kit Temperature and 1st Expiring Medication fields are updated based on the most recent Receive Event or subsequent Whole Blood workflow.

Best Practices

• Verify the correct Med Kit before beginning the Return workflow.
• Select the appropriate Return Type to accurately document why the blood product is leaving inventory.
• Confirm the Blood Unit ID before selecting the product to return.
• Record the blood or kit temperature according to your agency's procedures.
• Review any temperature warnings before completing the transaction.
• Review all Return information before selecting Add Action. Once the Multi-Action Workflow continues to the Receive Event, the Return Event cannot be edited.
• Use the Return and Replace workflow when exchanging blood with a supplier to reduce duplicate data entry.
• Verify the replacement Blood Unit ID, expiration date, and visual inspection before completing the Receive action.
• If the Med Kit uses seals, complete a Count after the exchange when required by agency policy so the new seal number is documented.
• Review all information before selecting Sign & Finish.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

When should I use Return Only instead of Return and Replace?

Use Return Only when blood is being removed from inventory without receiving replacement inventory. Use Return and Replace when the supplier or blood bank exchanges the returned blood for new inventory during the same workflow.

Can I return more than one blood product?

Yes. Select Add Product for each Whole Blood or Packed Red Blood Cell product being returned.

Why did some of my information automatically populate during the Receive action?

The multi-action workflow carries common information from the Return action into the Receive action to reduce duplicate data entry.

How do I correct information after I've added the Receive action?

Once the Multi-Action Workflow has been confirmed and the Receive Event has been added, the Return Event becomes read-only and cannot be edited. If corrections are required, close the current workflow and restart the Return and Replace process.

Why am I seeing a temperature warning?

The entered temperature is outside the minimum or maximum range configured by your agency. Verify the value and follow agency procedures before completing the workflow.

Do I need to perform a Count after replacing inventory?

Not always. However, if your agency's Whole Blood Med Kit uses seals, a Count may be required to document the new seal number after the kit has been reopened.

Why are multiple signatures required?

The number of required signers and the validation method are determined by your agency's Medications signature configuration.

Can an outside organization representative sign the workflow?

Yes. When permitted by your agency's signature configuration, outside-organization signers can be selected and their information entered before collecting their signature.